The Best 13-Inch Laptops of 2019: Portable Notebooks for Any Budget

13-inch laptops have soared in popularity over the past few years, and for good reason. These devices offer the best balance between portability and productivity. Students can effortlessly carry 13-inch laptops around campus, and business professionals can slip these machines into briefcases when traveling. Additionally, their compact size makes them some of the best 2-in-1 laptops for customers who want tablet functionality.

Before you scroll down to our list, there are plenty of upcoming laptops you should know about. Samsung just announced the Snapdragon processor-powered Galaxy Book S, which should last 23 hours on a charge. And at IFA 2019, Lenovo unveiled the 13-inch Yoga C640, a slim 2-in-1 laptop that weighs just 2.9 pounds.

Here are the best 13-inch laptops for every budget.

Best Overall: Dell XPS 13 (2019)

The Dell XPS 13 (starting at $899) isn't just the best 13-inch laptop; it's our favorite overall laptop (and has been for multiple years running). The 2019 refresh of Dell's ultimate Ultrabook keeps all the style, speed and portability of the previous edition and eliminates its only serious problem. That's right, the dreaded 'nosecam' — a webcam that sat in the bottom left corner of the display bezel, pointing right up your schnozz — is gone. Instead, Dell's found a way to set the webcam in the still-thin top bezel, a minor engineering miracle. Just make sure you get the model that's right for you: the 4K version we tested offers less than 8 hours of battery life, and the 1080p version should offer far more. At 2.69 pounds and 0.6 inches thick, the XPS 13 is a great choice for students or frequent travelers.

Best under $1,000: HP Envy 13 (2019)

Starting at just $799, the HP Envy 13 is one of, if not, the best value in laptops right now. In many ways, the Envy 13 is a Windows 10 alternative to the MacBook Air, expect even better thanks to its longer battery life, stronger performance and lower price. Redesigned for this year, the Envy 13 also has a slim attractive aluminum chassis. Some handy security features --- a fingerprint sensor and webcam kill switch --- are just the icing on the cake.

Best Apple Laptop: MacBook Air (2018)

The long-awaited (and much needed) update to the popular MacBook Air has arrived. The new model features a colorful 13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 Retina display with bezels that are 50 percent thinner this year. Touch ID also makes an introduction to the new Butterfly keyboard. The Y-series CPU in the MacBook Air didn't blow us away in our testing, but its 9+ hours of battery life made up for it. Also, the newly designed chassis is 0.6 inches thick and weighs 2.75 pounds, making the new Air slightly smaller and lighter than the previous model.

Note: Apple lowered the price of this MacBook Air after killing the previous model.

Best Ultrabook: Microsoft Surface Laptop 2

The sophomore release of Microsoft's traditional clamshell laptop is a hit. The $999 Surface Laptop 2 has a lot going for it, including a gorgeous 13.5-inch display, a slim and sexy design, and 9 hours of battery life. The machine also comes armed with the latest 8th Gen Intel Core CPUs, which provide a significant performance improvement when compared to last year's model. The comfortable soft-touch Alcantara deck returns this year, except now there is a swanky matte black color scheme to choose from, along with the Burgundy, Cobalt Blue and Platinum.

Best for Gaming: Razer Blade Stealth (2018)

The Razer Blade Stealth is the best laptop for gamers who want to play on the go. The Stealth has a sleek, unibody aluminum chassis that can be easily slipped into a backpack. Somehow, Razer found a way to pack a dedicated GPU into this 13-inch machine. While the optional GeForce MX150 GPU can't play the most demanding games, you shouldn't have any problems running most AAA titles on low graphics settings. Oh yeah, and this year's model has surprisingly long battery life, at more than 8 hours.

Best 2-in-1: HP Spectre x360 (2019)

HP's newest premium 2-in-1 is a knockout. With chamfered corners and faceted edges, the Spectre x360 looks as much like a jewel as it does a laptop. But there is a lot more to the Spectre x360 than its looks. The convertible lasts more than 12 hours on a charge and its 13.3-inch, 1080p display is extremely colorful. Furthermore, the Spectre x360's keyboard is supremely comfortable and its dual speakers output clear and loud audio.

Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 13

A favorite in a flood of recently released premium Chromebooks, the $799 Acer Chromebook 13 is one of the fastest laptops running Google's Chrome OS. The aluminum notebook packs up to an Intel U-series Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM. While the laptop's 13.5-inch display isn't particularly bright, it is sharp and vivid.

Best Performance: Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (2019)

If you prefer macOS to Windows 10, then there's only one 13-inch laptop you should consider: the Apple MacBook Pro (starting at $1,799). The biggest improvement to this year's model is the new keyboard, which should fix the various issues of the previous version. Other improvements include faster quad-core processors and the quickest SSD you'll find in a laptop. Of course, you still get everything that makes Apple's laptops so popular: a gorgeous unibody aluminum design, a sharp and fairly vibrant display, good speakers and solid battery life.

Best Business: HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3 Review

Business professionals who want a powerful 13-inch laptop should consider the HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3. This sleek 2-in-1 combines a beautiful slim aluminum chassis with military strength durability. Add nearly 10 hours of battery life into the mix, and you've got yourself one heck of a travel machine.

A standout feature of the EliteBook x360 1030 G3 is the 1080p Sure View display, which reaches a remarkable 518 nits of brightness. Other things we like about the laptop include its comfortable keyboard and powerful speakers.

Best Design: Lenovo IdeaPad 730S

At 0.5 inches thick and 2.4 pounds, the extremely sleek IdeaPad 730S is one of the thinnest and lightest 13-inch laptops we've reviewed. Along with a portable chassis, it has a vivid and detailed 13.3-inch, 1080p display, and strong performance thanks to its Core i5 CPU and fast 256GB SSD. Impressive audio quality and a surprisingly capable webcam make the IdeaPad 730S a steal at less than $1,000, despite sub-par battery life.

Best for Designers: Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition

What sets the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition apart from the competition is a nifty pen garage built into the stylus. Using a strong magnet, the slot holds the included stylus in place so you don't have to worry about losing it. Other things we love about the Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 are its sleek, stylish design, fast performance and competitive price.

Phillip Tracy is a senior writer at Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he reviews laptops and covers the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News and NewBay Media. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, listening to indie music or watching soccer.